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Sunday, 2 July 2017

A Bologna Diary (9) - William K Howard, Edmund Lowe, more Robert Mitchum

William K Howard

Il Cinema Ritrovato has always fashioned its programme around key early
elements of Hollywood Cinema. Attending over 6 years now. It has informed us
both on directors and, over the last couple of years the work of Carl Laemmle
Jr at the studio owned and run by his father, Universal. Junior was made Head
of Production at the studio at the ripe young age of 21. This year the key
director was the almost forgotten William K Howard. The Howard selection
comprised Don’t Bet on Women (1931), Transatlantic (1931), The Trial of Vivienne
Ware (1932), Sherlock Holmes (1932), and The Power and the Glory (1933). It was a selection to show off
someone who knew how to direct and seemed to have sailed effortlessly into the
early sound era. Transatlantic featured
a broad cast and quite intricately linked plot strands. As well, it featured
some of the most gorgeous art deco sets you are ever likely to see, an era
preserved for eternity.

Edmund Lowe

In Transatlantic the debonair
Edmund Lowe plays a crook, a committer of some indeterminate crime who gets on
board the giant liner and is assailed by women and by some fellow members of
the criminal class. Unusually Lowe doesn’t end involved with any of the women
on board. Lowe also features in the Noel Coward-ish Don’t Bet on Women, a film distinguished, especially for its time I
would have thought for the breakneck and frequently risqué dialogue delivered
by handsome people elegantly dressed. Regrettably I’m in need of another
viewing on DVD just to jot down the best of the bon mots….

….Robert Mitchum again reminded us of his late
career greatness in what seemed like a near to new 35mm print of The Friends of Eddie Coyle (Peter Yates,
USA, 1973). Yates and scenarist/producer Paul Monash get to the essence of the
great first novel by George V Higgins, a book which began the author’s
Balzacian chronicling of all sides of Boston society, most of which involved
men with guns. Mitchum as a hangdog petty crim working for poverty level wages
by supplying guns for heists is quite something. It’s a character he can
inhabit. As well he and the rest of the cast deliver Higgins trademark criminal
argot with what seems to me absolute authenticity. Richard Jordan as the slimy
Treasury cop adds to the realism created.…

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This is a blog devoted to things of interest to cinephiles. The subjects are randomly selected in the manner of a diary and are somewhat oriented to Sydney, Australia. In the past I used to send out these entries via regular emails but this has trailed off and its best to check here for anything new.You can contact me direct via email at filmalert101@gmail.com